MAHASU DAY & SARKARI DAAL

Today is Saturday and there cannot be a better time to reminisce about the gone by days when this day of the week was also known as MAHASU Day. 
Until 1September, 1972, Mahasu was a full fledged district of Himachal Pradesh, which  till 1960 also comprised the present day Kinnaur district .Solan & Arki tehsil of present day Solan district  also part of the Mahasu District.
Upper & Lower Mahasu were the marked areas with separate linguistic and cultural identities.
A very large number of government employees at Shimla belonged to adjoining areas of rural Shimla, and Arki tehsil and lived alone, their families left behind in the village. On Saturday, most of them would leave the office early to catch buses to their native places and would make sure to be present on duty on  Monday in the morning.Resultantly , the strength of the employees in any office during Saturday evening was thinner. This is the reason behind the coinage Mahasu Day.
At Shimla, School vacation was in Winter for the entire months of January and February and  employees would leave their families at village to pass the winter. For two months they would stay alone at Shimla to attend  office. The winter days being shorter, cooking meals and attending office would be cumbersome, so the Malka ki Daal would come to the rescue, as being easy to cook and taking comparatively less time than other food items.
So the term Sarkari Dal was coined to mean Malka ki Daal.
Those were the days !!

Adieu to a Noble soul !

It  was a  shock  , rather a jolt to hear of the sad  and sudden demise of  our  Samadhin   ( daughter’s  mother in law ) , who  had a  cardiac arrest in the early morning hours  yesterday , at her home  near  Dhaliara . More shocking was the  fact  that  death occurred close on the heels  of the marriage of her niece, the ceremony  being  over  just 2-3 hours  before. She was not yet sixty. She was a remarkable person, ,a pious and religiously inclined  lady,   who was full of charity towards all and malice towards none. Perchance  my  son in law had come on  a short leave  from the  North East     to attend the  said marriage ,  and her daughter with her family was also there. She had  a special corner for my wife , whom she treated   more as a younger sister   than a Samadhin . The two would have  long  conversation  periodically on phone , between them sharing  all the  two could . The relatives and  near and dear ones  gathered  around  to offer condolences had only  nice things to say    about her, quite deservedly  . It was hard to console my son in law , visibly  shattered . On  24th instant, I had  posted a few lines about  my mother who had passed away  twenty seven  years back.
Now it is kids’ turn to  face the emotional  vacuum  and the practical challenges , to shoulder all responsibilities  and  to take special care of the  old  father  left behind.

Peace be to the Departed Soul ! Amen !!

S.H.Bihari

Today is the death anniversary of Shamsul Huda Bihari- S.H.Bihari for short- the noted lyricist of Hindi Cinema , who was active in the latter half of the 20th century.Known for penning Romantic songs, his filmography includes films like Shart, Kashmir Ki Kali,Bandish,Ek Jhalak,Inspector, Yahudi ki Ladki,Dilli Ka Thug, Ek Musafir Ek Haseena,Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi,Saawan Ki Ghata, Muhabbat Zindagi Hai, Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan, Duniya,Humsaya, Kismat, Shatranj,Pagla Kahin Ka, Prem Rog, Teri Meherbaaniyan and many others.
The notable songs penned by him include -
Hansta hua noorani chehra....
 Zara haule haule chalo moray ......,
Na ye chand hoga, na tarah rahenge.....
Bahut shukariya, badi meharbani....... Taareef karun kya uski .......
Kajra Muhabbat wala.....
Chain se humko kabhi aap ne jeene na diya......
Chehre se zara aanchal, jab aapne sarkaya......
Chham chham baaje re payaliya....
.
 Dil chhed koi aisa naghma.......
 Hai Duniya usi ki zamana usi ka.......
 Isharon isharon mein dil lene wale......
Lakhon hain yahan dil wale...........
Tumhara chahane wala khuda ki duniya mein........
Tumse mil kar na jaane kyon.......etc.
It is worthy of note that he was a favorite Lyricist of composer O.P.Nayyar.

The died this day in 1987, aged 64/65.
Our humble tributes !

Khayyam

Today is the birth anniversary of Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, known by mononym Khayyam, a renowned  Composer and Music Director.Born this day in 1927, at Rahon, Punjab, he left home at an early age to live with his uncle at Delhi, where he  received training in music from the classical Vocalist & Composer, Pandit Amarnath. Later he went to Lahore to find work in films .There , Baba Chishti , the renowned Punjabi  Music Composer took him as his assistant . He worked with Baba Chishti for six months and came to Ludhiana in 1943.
After a stint in the British Indian Army  during the Second World War, he went to  Bombay and under the pseudonym of Sharmaji, of the Sharmaji- Verma ji duo, composed music for the first time for the 1948 film Heer Ranjha.His partner Rahman Verma left for Pakistan post partition and Khayyam was on his own, going solo. His early break was in 1950 film Biwi, in which a song sung by Mohammad Rafi, became an instant hit.
The 1953 film Footpath brought him real recognition when the ghazal 'Sham e  Gham ki Qasam....' sung by Talat Mahmood became very popular with the listeners.This was followed by another hit 1958 film Phir Subah Hogi, in which the duet ' Woh subah kabhi to ayegi....' written by Sahir Ludhiyanavi, and sung beautifully by Mukesh & Asha Bhosle, became very popular, another popular hit from the same film was  'Aasman pe hai khuda, aur zameen pe hum.....'
 Subsequently, the lilting  melodies composed by him for Shola Aur Shabnam, Shagun, Aakhri Khat became hits.Another shot in the arm for Khayyam was the 1976 film Kabhi Kabhi, all the songs of which became hits.
After this the songs composed by him for films Trishul, Thodi si Bewafaai, Bazar, Dard, Noorie, Naakhuda, Sawaal & Khandaan.
The melodies composed for Umrao Jaan and Razia Sultan are other gems from his kitty. A two time winner of Filmfare Best Music Director Award, he also received National Award for Best Music Director, Life Time Achievement Award. He was also awarded Padma Bhushan in 2011.
He died last year on 19th August .
Our humble tributes to the maestro !

Geometry Box

By the way -

As  school students we all encounter a  Geometry Box, a tin box containing Geometry instruments like a 15cm ruler, called ' futta' in colloquial language, a divider, a  pair of compasses called 'parkaar', a pair of set- square, a protractor called 'D', and an eraser . These instruments came handy in drawing angles in geometry and were indispensable. In our time Globe was the most popular brand of  geometry box which cost Rs.3/- . Periodically the box had to be replaced as through  constant use, the divider and the compasses got loose or the markings on the set square &  the 'D' got erased.
I remember getting a number of boxes, time to time.

• Years later , it was amusing to find the word mentioned when I was associated with a Revenue Officer during probation/ training. The Officer, a kind human being who hosted me for quite a number of days was said to be calling out the orderly asking for the ' Geometry Box' . It transpired that the Geometry Box was a quarter  of liquor  kept at some place known only to him and the orderly. During the days I spent with him , I found him an abstainer though he was given to drawing on a  hookah in leisure time .

MAKAR SAKRANTI

MAKAR SANKRANTI  during my growing years was an occasion and an event to remember. Irrespective of  how cold the weather was, it was a must to have a morning bath for all members of the family , the only exception being made for someone not feeling well , who was spared the torture. Small heaps of rice & maash, with one or two tiloy, and a coin, the whole thing called नशरावा- as many in number as the members of family were placed on a piece of paper and small Pooja was done. The heaps were bundled together and were given to the  Panda, who  happened  to come the same day or any day afterwards.
The joie de vivre was the Khichdi of rice mixed with m

aash, served with liberal helping of Ghee poured above. This was an auspicious occasion as the entire month of Maagh is considered holy and sacred. The occasion is also known as Khichadi ki Saaji or Saaja.
Khichadi is prepared and served even now, rice and maash are also given away  as in old times but one does miss the ambience that characterized the occasion.

SNOWFALL

ADVANTAGE STAYING AT  HOME DURING & AFTER SNOWFALL
Post retirement it is an advantage to be sitting at home during snowfall and not venturing out till roads are cleared of the snow. Mercifully  , as students also we had full two months of vacation in January and February. During service, no such advantage was there and had to brave it out to reach office and come back one piece. The less fortunate had a fall with resultant injuries.Sadly, only yesterday a young man lost life at Shimla in a car accident. Snowfall is necessary for ensuring ample water for Agriculture & fruit crops , but  comes with attendant miseries also. Cold conditions due to drop in temperature
become unbearable for the older people. Good as long as power supply is regular and uninterrupted. Fuel wood burning especially in urban settings is a thing of the past.
A caution to those who have to walk on snowy terrains- ए भाई ज़रा देख के चलो ......